


Sharkskin

by paranoidZephyr



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: FRICKLE FRACKLING IN LATER CHAPTERS, M/M, kind of, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-30
Updated: 2013-07-30
Packaged: 2017-12-21 20:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/904626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranoidZephyr/pseuds/paranoidZephyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After falling asleep by the ocean, Armin meets a boy named Eren. He would've invited him to come play with him, but the fact that Eren was half tiger shark kind of put a plug on that idea. That doesn't mean Armin won't try to be his friend, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharkskin

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! Okay, so I originally posted this on tumblr as a request fic, but I really like it!! So I'm going to continue it here!

Armin smiled as he walked into the small alcove of chiseled stone and water that shone reflection onto it. He worked with his grandfather over the summer, and when work was done at the shop he would spend all of his free time at he ocean.

It was fantastic, being this close to the water. He could smell the salt and hear the birds outside, and the small secluded area he found was stunning. The stone was cold and wet, abstract designs and the small sounds of waves almost giving it a mythical feel.

He leaned down, setting his leather-bound book next to him as he dipped his feet into the water. He sighed, the cold saltwater feeling liberating. He had worn shoes that were much too tight all day and until he saved up the money to go and buy him new ones, he would have to deal with it.

The blonde didn’t even open his book like he intended to. He was perfectly fine with sitting there and relaxing in his own small haven, losing himself to his thoughts. The damp stone he could feel through his thin button-up shirt felt amazing, and it chilled him into a comfortable lull…

 

 

_Armin grabbed a hold of a rock, the grey surface covered in algae  When he pulled on it to propel himself through the water, small fish darted out from under it, moving quickly through the sea to new hiding places among the bright coral he was navigating._

_He smiled, honestly uncaring when his mouth was filled with water. It wasn’t like he had to hold it. He moved along calmly, looking on at all the creatures and underwater plants that continued their lives about him. He felt free, doing flips and looking up at the surface of the water like he never wanted to leave._

"Hello?"

_He turned to watch a small octopus squeeze into a bottle left on the reef’s floor, it’s colour changing from light tan to include many brightly coloured rings, the deepest blue he had ever seen. He vaguely recalled the name of it, nodding ligihtly to himself as he continued on._

"Hey, are you okay?"

_His light blonde hair floated about him as he felt the wet material of his shirt and pants stick to his form. Armin eyes lit up as a small school of blue, black, and yellow fish swam past, the bright patterns almost blurring into a mass of colour, like a painting._

"Hey! Are you okay? Please wake up! Oh god, you’re dead aren’t you. Shit."

_That voice…why was someone calling to him? He looked around, not seeing any person for miles, just the wildlife and saltwater. He shrugged lightly, continuing his journey in the reef when the water began to rough up. He felt as if—it felt as if someone was shaking him, but it was just the water, right…?_

Armin shot up, immediately recognizing the feeling of wet cloth sticking to his back. He must have fallen asleep. He looked around, giving a large sigh of relief when he saw his book sitting in the same spot it was, dry and unharmed.

"Hey, you’re alive!"

He turned his head, looking down at a figure in the water. His skin was tan, deep eyes staring at him with a sort of smirking tone as he smiled, brunette hair sticking to his forehead. He rested with his arms on the stone between his legs, folded. Armin gave a small cry, jumping at the sudden intrusion. Did a swimmer find him asleep and think he was dead? They obviously would’ve known if they could’ve checked his pulse.

"I,I was asleep. Sorry." He rubbed at his eyes, pulling his legs out of the water and folding them beneath him. “My name is Armin, Armin Arlert." It was only polite to introduce yourself to someone you just met, right? He hadn’t the chance of meeting too many people as he simply restocked shelves and did menial work, then fled tot he ocean by himself when he was done.

"Name’s Eren Jaeger!" the boy—no, Eren—spoke enthusiastically, thrusting a thumb into his chest and smiling widly. His teeth were slightly pointed, lips pulling back to reveal what looked like fangs.

This had him slightly startled. Though he chose to ignore it. Asking such questions would be rude of him. No need to be rude to someone you just met. Not to mention someone your own age you just met. 

At least, he thought they were around the same age.

"So," Eren began, “What’s a land dweller like you doing here? I came to hunt, not talk to a blondie."

"Land dweller?" Armin raised a brow. What was this kid talking about? Hunt? Maybe he used this place as a fishing spot? If so, why was he in the water? Wouldn’t it just be easier to just sit where he was?

"Yeah, land dweller. You guys’ve got the land and we got the water. Now you’re taking that from us, too!" he moved away from the stone into the middle of the small pool. 

Armin’s eyes widened. Just below Eren’s hipbones his skin slowly turned rubbery and grey, so very very grey. He had no legs, instead it was a light grey tale covered in rough skin. Dark grey was covered with even darker stripe-like marks on the back he noticed as the other male turned around. 

The end of the tail splayed out onto a large fin that was much longer in the back then the front. Armin duly noted that the marks extended onto his body, the slightly darker striped of skin on his back and arms not a product of the water’s reflection as he once thought.

"E-Eren?" his voice was slightly shaken.

"Yeah?" n all honesty he was prepared for the questions. Unpleasantly so, but he figured there was only so long he could keep this identity from the blond in front of him.

"What’s that around your…your tail?"

The brunette looked down, flicking his tail to try to get the plastic bottle holder off of the end. To be honest, he hadn’t really noticed it. Those damned land dwellers. Eren scolwed, now he had another erason to hate them.

"Uhm, here, let me help." Armin unbuttoned his shirt, folding it neatly next to him before he slid into the water, wading towards him. Eren moved back, insisting that he could do it himself, but Armin ignored it as he ducked under the water, holding his breath as he tried to untangle the plastic wrapped around him.

He came up for breath, giving just enough time for Eren to start talking again before he went down again, this time working more vigorously.

The plastic floated to the surface with Armin. He bit his lip, shaking his right hand wildly Eren reached out and grabbed it, bring the boy close as he inspected it. 

The pale hand was skinned, and the salt water probably made it sting even more. “Hold on," he murmured, passing Armin to grab his shirt sitting on the rock. Armin protested loudly when he heard the ripping of fabric, Eren spitting out the spare threads that got caught in his mouth.

Eren returned to him, wrapping the fabric around the palm of his hand tightly. “There,"

"And…thanks, Armin." He looked to the side, admittedly a bit embarrassed to owe  _thanks_  to a land dweller. But he guessed Armin was okay, for having legs and all. The blonde smiled at him, pulling himself out of the water to sit on the edge once more.

"You—you should probably go get that looked at." God, and now he was giving advice to him. When he got back Levi was probably going to skin him and make sure fishermen find his tail.

"But what if I still want to talk to you?" Armin tilted his head as he asked. As rude as he presented himself, he was sure Eren was a nice person. He did say thank you, after all.

"I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? I came here every day. You just happened to interrupt me."

Armin nodded, sliding his shirt back on and grimacing slightly at the ripped sleeve. He turned to pick his book up, but Eren’s words made him stop.

"What’s that about?"

THe blonde turned and set it at the edge, flipping it to a page as Eren approached it, careful not to let his wet hands touch the fragile paper.

"It’s all about the world! See? It has pictures of mountains and fields and forests and a bunch of cool things!" He pointed the the different pages as he spoke, smiling as Eren’s eyes lit up in wonder and curiosity. He probably only ever saw the beach. The thought made him kind of sad. He had an idea.

"Hey, Eren, do you want to borrow this until I come back?" All he got in response was a nod from the brunette, whose eyes were entranced in the pages. He smiled.

"Alright! I’ll be back the same time tomorrow, okay? Bye  Eren, it was nice meeting you!" He stood and smoothed out his shirt, an absent goodbye coming fro the…merman? Armin wasn’t sure what to call him.

As he left, he decided that Eren Jaeger was good enough for him. Not need for fancy titles—Eren was the same as him.


End file.
